In Your Arms
by southernbookgirl
Summary: The past year's events have made Happy realize how much the people and moments in her life matter to her. (Inspired by "Ice Ca-Cabes")


_Author's Note: This is inspired by Monday night's episode "Ice Ca-Cabes". I couldn't sleep afterwards, so I wrote this in about three hours. This is dedicated to all those who have never felt along or unloved in the world. You are loved and never think or believe otherwise._

Happy took a deep breath and tried to compose herself in the bathroom at her apartment. She had just come back from visiting Cabe at the hospital, and she still could not quite believe that all the events that had transpired over the last twelve hours had actually happened. Toby had stayed back at the hospital to talk to Cabe's attending physician about the surgery and their team dad's road to recovery. Like she had felt when Collins had kidnapped Toby back in April, she had not realized how much Cabe had meant to her until it looked like he might be ripped away from her. Now, she couldn't imagine not having in her life this man she viewed as a second father. Several tears started to escape as she recalled the moment he slipped away when she and the team worked to freeze him, and the pure terror she felt and the screams that escaped when it looked as if Cabe was gone for good. She took another deep, shuddering breath, reminding herself that Cabe was fine and Toby was fine; everyone was fine and there was no point in dwelling on it. Nevertheless, she was still on edge, and it did little to settle her. Today was yet another reminder how fragile life was and how quickly it could change.

Happy thoroughly brushed her teeth to rid her mouth of the gasoline taste from earlier before heading to her bedroom. Laying down on her bed, mental and physical exhaustion starting to set in, Happy couldn't help but recall this poem she read some time ago when she was going through some of her mother's things that her father had saved for her.

 _Life is so fragile,  
as we breathe each day.  
A little of us is gone.  
A fraction of a minute,  
a lifetime of our being.  
As we live our day,  
we lose a part of our lives.  
Never to recover its content.  
never to experience it again.  
our life is but a minute,  
and it passes in mere seconds.  
We experience our loves.  
And our life in seconds.  
Cherish our memories.  
And wish we could  
live it all once more.  
But the frailty of our life,  
reminds us we are mortal.  
Doomed to die one day.  
And the world will go on,  
without us.  
We shall be but a thought,  
to all.  
Someone they once knew..._

 _~Lucia Garcia,_ "The Frailty of Life"

At the time, Happy was surprised her mother had like something so sad and morbid that her mother liked. Yet, now with some external perspective and personal experience of the cycle of life and death, Happy realized that the poem was not just one of sadness and morbidity. It was a reminder, a cry for those alive to cherish what they have, never to let a day or a moment be wasted. For the mechanical genius, this was a stark reminder for her to open herself up more, because everything and everyone she loved and cherished could be gone in an instant.

When she had initially asked her dad about the poem, Patrick responded with: "Life is fragile, our moments are fleeting, and your mother knew that. Considering the upheaval her family went through when she was little – with her father's early death and her mother not being around as much because she worked to support your mother and your great-grandparents – Grace recognized that life's little moments are to be appreciated. When we found out we were expecting you, even a detail as small as picking out a fabric or paint color for your room held special meaning because of the love and excitement surrounding the reason for doing so. I love you, your mother loved you, and we could not be prouder of the strong, independent, and caring woman that you have grown up to be."

Happy had smirked a bit when her father had said Happy was "caring," but even the genius herself knew she had come a long way from her early days with Scorpion. When she had first joined the team, Happy was a cynical, closed-off individual, hardened from the years of loneliness, abandonment, and abuse she had suffered in the foster care system. Over time though, first with the team and later with Toby, initially as his best friend and later in their personal relationship, the mechanical prodigy began to open up. Her one-on-one talks with Sly and Walter about their personal relationships and struggles; her desperate, heartfelt attempt for Toby to stop himself from passing the point of no return with gambling; and her building a relationship with her father and Cabe – these were all moments that demonstrated what a "softie" she was becoming. And in all honesty, that did not bother Happy. She was becoming less of a robot and more of a human being. Hell, she was even starting to sound like Toby, and that was something she was still a bit conflicted about. She loved the Doc with all her heart, but even the recollection of her "cutie that's hot for your booty" line made her shiver at exactly _how much_ he was rubbing off on her.

At that moment, she heard the squeak of the door hinges, and that signaled to Happy that her fiancé had arrived back from the hospital. Making a mental note to check the door hinges later, Happy walked out to greet Toby. Before he could even take off his coat, Happy's arms were around his waist, and she laid her head in the crook of his shoulder, snuggling as close as she possibly could into his embrace, her eyes fluttering shut as she took in the familiar, comforting scent that was all Toby. Following his initial surprise, the Doc wrapped his arms around his short fiancée, kissing the top of her head as he ran his hands through her tangled curls.

"Not that I don't enjoy your hugs, sugar plum, but this isn't how you normally greet me," he chuckled, kissing her head again. "Normally I get a "hey, you" or a passionate, mind-numbing kiss. Why the sudden change, princess?"

Toby had some idea of the reason behind her sudden change of behavior, but he knew her well enough that he was sure his fiancée would open up when she was ready to share. As the psychiatrist continued to run his fingers through her hair, Happy tightened her grip and leaned further into his embrace, the methodical motion of his hands in her hair making her drowsy.

Several minutes passed before Happy shifted her gaze upward. As a look of questioning appeared in the doctor's eyes, the dark-haired genius pulled her fiancé down and gave him a gentle kiss, more gentle than she had ever done before. With a small moan, the kiss deepened as she buried her hands in his curls and Toby pulled Happy closer, pressing the length of his body against hers. It was only when both came up for air that Happy did something Toby had never before witnessed. She interlocked her right hand with his left, and with a look of pure, soft love in her eyes, gently kissed the top of his hand while caressing his cheek with her free hand.

"I love you, Doc," Happy started with a small smile. "To quote one of your favorite books, 'I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking toward me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you.'"

Toby laughed with delight at her literary reference, but he grew quiet when he saw that Happy was not done speaking.

"Today with Cabe, back in April with you, and last winter with my near-death experiences, I grasped at how much my friends and family mean to me. I don't want to let another moment pass by meaninglessly. So whether it is you and me watching a movie, me playing games like Stratego with Cabe" – she motioned to their unfinished game at her dining room table – "or the team just chilling at the garage, I want to experience life. The good and bad, the ups and downs – I want to live it. Life isn't worth living without taking risks," she took a deep breath before continuing, "and I am so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Thank you for choosing me and for loving me unconditionally. When I'm in your arms, I feel safe and loved, and there is no other place on earth I'd rather be. So, Tobias Merriweather Curtis, whether it is here in Los Angeles or somewhere far away, I know as long as I'm with you, I am home."

Toby was shocked at her admission but realized the significance behind it. She felt safe with him, truly realizing how loved and cherished she was, not only by him but by Cabe, her father, and the team. Despite the years of abuse and abandonment she had suffered through in the foster care system, there was a warm, loving heart behind her hard and sometimes cold exterior. As Happy snuggled back into his arms, all the psychiatrist could think about was how lucky he was to be marrying a woman as wonderful as Happy Grace Quinn. _She's going to make a wonderful mother someday,_ Toby couldn't help but think as a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.

As though she had read his mind, she glanced up at him and said, "Oh, in the midst of all the excitement of today, I forgot to tell you my bit of news." Toby's look of confusion and curiosity only brought a wide smile to Happy's face. She stepped back, her smile only growing as she took a deep breath before speaking. "Toby, you said it would happen when the time was right. You and I…" She took another deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "You and I are going to get the chance to wait outside a school, to be there and cherish a child that's our own. Doc," Happy said as a large smile formed on Toby's face, "I'm pregnant."

 _You're always there to wrap me in your arms._

 _Even when I slip and fall,_

 _You're with me through it all._ _  
_ _Through it all I know you'll be there…_

 _I'm falling into your arms again…_

 _~Capital Kings_ , "Into Your Arms"

 _I look at you and see the rest of my life in front of my eyes. ~Unknown_


End file.
